Cleaning method

Abstract

The step of removing the reaction product includes a step of loading a dummy wafer on the loading table, a step of increasing the temperature of the loading table, and a step of removing the reaction product after increasing the temperature of the loading table. In the step of increasing the temperature of the loading table, the temperature of the loading table is increased by opening an expansion valve between an output terminal of a condenser and an input terminal of the heat exchange unit, inputting heat to the loading table, opening a flow dividing valve between an output terminal of a compressor and the input terminal of the heat exchange unit, and adjusting an opening degree of the flow dividing valve.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cleaning method for a component of a plasma processing apparatus, the method comprising:
 a step of removing a reaction product formed on a peripheral side part of an electrostatic chuck of a loading table which is disposed in the plasma processing apparatus and on which a workpiece is loaded, wherein 
 the loading table includes a heat exchange unit that is disposed in the plasma processing apparatus and exchanges heat using a refrigerant, 
 the step of removing the reaction product includes
 a step of loading a dummy wafer on the loading table, 
 a step of increasing a temperature of the loading table by
 having open an expansion valve, disposed between an output terminal of a condenser, which condenses the refrigerant that is discharged from the heat exchange unit and compressed and supplies the refrigerant to the heat exchange unit, and an input terminal of the heat exchange unit, 
 inputting heat to the loading table, 
 opening a flow dividing valve between an output terminal of a compressor, which compresses the refrigerant discharged from the heat exchange unit and supplies the refrigerant to the condenser, and the input terminal of the heat exchange unit, and 
 adjusting an opening degree of the flow dividing valve, and 
 
 a step of introducing a gas mixture to remove the reaction product after increasing the temperature of the loading table, wherein 
 
 in response to a time period elapsing, the heat to the loading table is stopped at the same time that the flow dividing valve is closed, and 
 the expansion valve is held open at a constant value throughout the entire step of removing the reaction product while the opening degree of the flow dividing valve is adjusted during the step of removing the reaction product. 
 
     
     
       2. The cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the reaction product has carbon, fluorine, and silicon. 
 
     
     
       3. The cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the gas mixture contains gas including fluorine and gas including oxygen. 
 
     
     
       4. The cleaning method according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the gas including fluorine includes at least one of CF 4 , NF 3 , and C 4 F 8 , and 
 the gas including oxygen includes at least one of O 2 , O 3 , CO, CO 2 , and COS. 
 
     
     
       5. The cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the inputting heat to the loading table is stopped in response to a finish of the step of removing the reaction product after increasing the temperature of the loading table by introducing the gas mixture. 
 
     
     
       6. The cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 inputting heat to the loading table is performed using plasma. 
 
     
     
       7. The cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the loading table includes a heater, and 
 inputting heat to the loading table is performed by the heater.